After having a good three-week stretch where i went a combined 31-8, I fell hard back to Earth posting a horrible 7-7 mark. For the season, I'm still doing fairly well (90-40), but My goal is to finish above 72% accuracy, so I've got a ways to go. Anyways, here are the predictions for week ten.
Raiders @ Chargers - Oakland is going to be without Darren McFadden again this week, and is heading to San Diego to play a very motivated Chargers team who likely would have beat the Packers were it not for two pick-sixes by the Green Bay defense. Prediction: Chargers 31, Raiders 24.
Saints @ Falcons - The Saints are #1 in total offense and #2 in scoring in the NFL, and they'll need to put their road woes behind them. Atlanta comes in having won three straight, and rookie WR Julio Jones has made the Falcons' investment in him worthwhile, posting 28 catches for 489 yards despite missing two games due to injury. Atlanta will try and exploit the vulnerable run defense of the Saints. Prediction: Falcons 30, Saints 27.
Titans @ Panthers - Matt Hasselbeck has been solid this year, despite not having Kenny Britt for most of the season, which is a good thing, because their running game has been anemic. If Chris Johnson can't get it going against a Panthers run defense that is surrendering 4.6 yards per carry, it could be a long day. Cam Newton and Steve Smith are on the same page, and are well rested following their bye. Prediction: Panthers 24, Titans 20.
Steelers @ Bengals - Would anyone have thought that the Bengals would be leading the AFC North halfway through the season? The Steelers are looking to avenge their 23-20 loss to Baltimore this past week. The matchup to watch in this one is the Steeler offensive line against a very stout front four of the Bengals. UPSET OF THE WEEK!!! Prediction: Bengals 20, Steelers 17.
Rams @ Browns - St. Louis is looking to rebound from a tough loss against the Cardinals, and have looked better in recent weeks. Steven Jackson should have a very good game against a Browns defense that surrendered over 250 yards rushing to the Texans last week. Hillis and Hardesty are both unlikely to play this week, which means there will be a lot of pressure on Colt McCoy to make plays to a suspect receiving corps. Prediction: Rams 19, Browns 13.
Bills @ Cowboys - Buffalo is 2-3 in the last five games following their 3-0 start to the season. Buffalo has trouble with physical defenses, as evidenced by their losses to the Bengals, Jets and Giants. Dallas has been unspectacular this year, and will be without WR Miles Austin for this game. The key will be how the Bills inexperienced line handles the Cowboy pass-rush, which has 22 sacks on the season. Prediction: Cowboys 24, Bills 20.
Jaguars @ Colts - Jacksonville's defense (#5 in the NFL in yards/game) isn't getting the credit it deserves, in large part because of their 2-6 record. The Jaguars need Blaine Gabbert to make some plays, and would greatly benefit Maurice Jones-Drew. The Colts just need a win for team morale, but will now also be without TE Dallas Clark. Prediction: Jaguars 20, Colts 14.
Broncos @ Chiefs - The Broncos ran over and around the Raiders this past week, racking up just under 300 yards on the ground in their 38-24 road win. Tebow is probably too mechanically un-sound to be a consistently accurate quarterback, but he poses major problems for defenses with his ability to tuck and run. The Chiefs will look to redeem themselves following a 31-3 home thumping at the hands of the previously winless Dolphins. Prediction: Broncos 26, Chiefs 20.
Redskins @ Dolphins - The Redskins played the 49ers tough this past week, but lacked any punch on offense in their 19-11 loss. Roy Helu now appears to be the feature back in Mike Shanahan's musical-chairs style running game, and will need to step up. Matt Moore played solid football this past week, and Reggie Bush has stepped up, averaging just under 100 yards rushing the past two games. Prediction: Dolphins 23, Redskins 19.
Cardinals @ Eagles - The Cardinals have as many wins with John Skelton at quarterback as they do Kevin Kolb. With Kolb out again, look for the Cardinals to do a better job running the ball against an Eagles defense that surrenders 124 yards per game on the ground. The Eagles are now in desperation mode, as anything less than 10 wins will mean watching the playoffs. "The Dream Team" and their season is in serious doubt, and will need to play to their talent level and have some luck if they want to reach the postseason. Prediction: Eagles 38, Cardinals 24.
Texans @ Bucs - The Texans might be getting a boost from the potential return of WR Andre Johnson, who has missed their past five games. With the #1 total defense and #2 rushing offense, this team has quietly become the team I've been expecting the last two years. The Bucs will need WR Mike Williams to step up, as he's struggled in his sophomore year in the NFL, with just 363 yards and 1 touchdown. Prediction: Texans 31, Bucs 20.
Ravens @ Seahawks - The Ravens are flying high following their comeback win over the Steelers. Joe Flacco proved a lot of critics wrong, leading the 92 yard, game winning drive. Seattle will need Marshawn Lynch to have another solid game (135 yards on 23 carries against the Cowboys), which will be a tough task against a stout Baltimore defense. Prediction: Ravens 24, Seahawks 10.
Lions @ Bears - The Lions are coming off a bye, and will hope to have RB Jahvid Best back from a concussion this week. Chicago won a big road game against Philadelphia Sunday night, and the return of Earl Bennett in that game (95 yards, 1 TD) shows that the Bears offense might be close to as good as their defense. Prediction: Bears 28, Lions 23.
Giants @ 49ers - This could well be the game of the week, pitting the matching up two of the NFC's top teams. Eli Manning looked very sharp and engineered two fourth quarter touchdown drives to beat the Pats in Foxoboro. The key for this game will be the Giants run defense against the 49ers power-running game. If the Giants can bottle up the run, Alex Smith is going to have to avoid the constant pressure the Giants defense brings. Prediction: Giants 20, 49ers 17.
Patriots @ Jets - The Patriots have looked shaky, particularly on offense, as they've been held to 20 points or less their past three games (two of which are losses). The Jets, meanwhile, are playing about as good of football as any team in the NFL, and dominated the Bills on both sides of the ball this past week. Matchup to watch here is the Patriots tight ends vs the Giants linebackers. Prediction: Jets 24, Patriots 20.
Vikings @ Packers - In their last meeting, Christian Ponder made his first NFL start, and the Vikings took the Packers down to the wire before falling. The Packers defense is surrendering a lot of big plays, but they also force turnovers. Aaron Rodgers will likely have another (typical) big game against an injury-plagued secondary, provided the O-line can protect him from sack-master Jared Allen (12.5 through 8 games). Prediction: Packers 38, Vikings 27.
Last Week: 7-7 (.500)
Season: 90-40 (.692)
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